Connector-clip



G. A. SCHAEFER.

CONNECVIOR CLIP. APPLICATION FILED Fin. n, 1918.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

GEORGE A. scnenrnn, or oH-icAso, rumors. I

CONNECTOR-CLIP.

v Application filed February 11, 1918. Serial No. 216,595.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. ScHAEFER, I. citizen of the United States,residing at Jhicago, in the'county of Cook and State )f Illin'ois, haveinvented a new and useful improvement .in Connector-Clips, of which befollowing is a specification.

My invention relatesto an improvedcon- ;truction of connector clip bywhich a strip )f conducting metal such as copper is sup- ;ortedlat itsmiddle portion and bent at its ands to conform with and engage theconluctor with which the clip is to. be used and-- 11 addition to thestructure referred to a iimilarly conformed springfpiefi'ably of toolsurrounds the. conducting strip and is nsulated therefrom by a ,suitablestrip of nsulatingmaterial, such for example as nica, all of the partsbeing secured together tIld "to asuitable support by fasten' dericesengaging the middle portions saidrtrips. v As a res lt of my improvedconstruction ahe conducting strip forming a part of the :onnector clipis supported and reinforced at lucting strip and the spring protectsthe.-

.pring throughout practically. its whole exent from the action of anyheat which may e developed in the conducting strip, and.

furthermore said insulation prevents .the

lowof current through the-sprin and thus I he produ'ction in, thespringof eat as a 'esult of said current. flow.

My present invention is .an i'mprdve'mentj D11 that set forth in PatentNumber 1,169,431-

vhich issued to me January 25,1916; My presentinvention is adapted foruse n any connectionwhere'connector clips are imployed for 'rem'ovablyengaging conduc-- ors such for example as for supporting-1n- :losedfuses and for electrical switches of he knife blade type. r

liy invention Specification of Letters Patent.

. supporting an inclosed Furwil best be. a age-.1 b

Patented Jan. is, i920.

reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodimentsthereof, in which Figure 1 shows two ofthe improved connector clipsmounted on a suitable base and fuse of the ferrule Fig. 2 shows nelevation one of the connector clips on an enlarged scale removed fromthe base and separate from the con-, 1

I ductor to be engaged thereby,

Fig. 3 is a sectional "new of the parts shown in Fig. 2 taken along theline 3 3,

Fig. 4 shows a modified construction of clip for use with flatconductors, and,

.Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the use of clips of the. typeillustrated in Fig. I

4 in a knife switch arrangement.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. o

, As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the connector clip "consists of a stripofconduotingmetal 10 such as copper secured at its middle por tionby afastenin device such as a nut 11 to a supporting r0 or stud 12. The rod12' is threaded and carries lock nuts 15 for senut 16 for connecting aconducting wire to the rod 12. The ends of the conducting strip1'0arebent away'from its middle por -tion so that they extend in the samegeneral direction and-for the construction shown in .Figs. 2and 3aregiven a circular conformation to engage a cylindrical conductor suchfor example'as the ferrule of a ferrule type curing the clip to a baseand an additional fuse. The strip 10 issurrounded by a strip;:-="-

of insulation .13 preferably ofmica o'r-othen I heat and moistureresisting insulating ma terial and around'thisstrip 13 a spring 14 isdisposed, the stripof insulation 13 and the spring 14 being ofsubstantially the conformation of the conducting strip 10. The

[conducting strip, the strip of insulation. and

he spring are secured tbgether'by the niit 11 or an equivalent fasteningdeviceen'gaging' the projecting end 12" of reduced d1ameter whichprojects. from the rod 12"throughholes thereforfin said parts; construct.ing the connector clip the spring 14 which is preferably of steelis-conformedto hold the end. portions of-the conducting strip "10somewhat closer together than the posl tion -theyoccupy-whenengaging theconductor for whichthe' clip is designed, as a. result oftwhich when the.conductorjs in.

place in the clip suflident pressure-1s'exf erted by the spring 14 uponthe endportions of the conductor strip and thus upon the correspondingportion of the conductor engaged by the clip to insure good electricalcontact between the conductor and the conducting strip. It is well knownin the art that connector clips depending for their effectiveness on thespring of the conducting strip are not effective since said strip isusually of copper and the amount of spring possessed by it isinsuflicient to maintain the strip in good electrical connection withtheconductor engaged thereby, and furthermore that little heating of theconductor strip is required to decrease the temper ofthe strip. Thespring construction referred to as forming a part of my improvedclipmaintains the conducting strip in good electrical contact with theconductor engaged thereby whether the conducting strip is of springmaterial or not and any softening of the metal of the conducting stripdoes not, therefore, decrease the effectiveness of the clip. The springis preferably protected throughout its entire extent by the strip ofinsulating material both. from receiving heat from the conducting stripby conduction and also by radiation, and furthermore electrical contactbetween the conducting strip and the spring is; prevented by saidinsulating materialas a result of which there is no-current flow throughsaid spring, and therefore the heating which would otherwise result fromsaid current flow is eliminated and." the spring remains sufiicientlycold at all times'so that its full temper is retained.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 two of the connector clips '14constructed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are mounted on a 'base'17 so as toengage the ferrules 18 of an inclosed fuse .19 so that thelatter mayreadily be removed from the clips and a new one inserted when the fuseis blown. Terminals 20 are shown upon the rods 12 for receiving the endsof the wires to be connected to the rods 12 and thus to the clips 14,these terminals being clamped in place between the nuts 15 and .16 whenthe wiring is completed. V

In the modified construction shown in Fig. l-the conducting strip 10*,the strip of insulation 13 and the sprm 14L are related to each other insubstantia ly the manner shown above in Figs. 2 and 3, the onlydifference being that the end portions of these parts are substantiallyparallel-to each other so that the connector clip may engage a flatconductor as for exam'le the blade of a knife switch'or the conucting'end portions of a. fuse of the knife type.

In the switch construction shown in Fig, 5 two of the connector clips 10are shown mounted on a base 21 and a switch blade 23 is shown aspivotally connected at 22 with one of said clips, the other 'clipserving as the contact clip of the switch.

From the description above given it will appear that myimprovedconnector clip is extremely simple to make and effective 1noperation. W

ile I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments above endsadjacent the opposite conductor engaging portions of said bent strip,and a flat spring having substantially the conformation of andsurrounding said insulation and tending to hold said metal strip firmlyin its conductor engaging position, whereby said metal strip is heldfirmly in engage- -ment with said conductor by said spring and saidspring is by said insulation.

2. A connector clip comprising in combination, a strip of metal bent tomake contact with opposite sides of a conductor to be engaged by saidclip, a strip of insulating material extending around the outer surfaceof said bent metal strip and having its protected from heating endsadjacent the opposite conductor engaging portions of said bent strip, aflat spring having. substantially the conformation of and surroundingsaid insulation and tending to hold said metal strip firmly in itsconductor engaging position, whereby said metal strip is held firmly inengagement with said conductor by said spring and said spring isprotected from heatin 'by' said insulation, and-a mounting stu securedto and extending through the middle portions of said metal strip,insulation and spring to. hold the sametogether.

3. A connector clip comprising in combination, a one piece jaw of stripmetal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electricalconductor between them and a flat middle portion in a planesubstantially at right angles to the planes of said end portions toengage a support, a strip of insulating material extending substanoutersurface thereof, and a flat spring of substantially the conformation ofand engaging theouter surface thereof for holdmg the end portions ofsaid jaw in their conductor engaging position.

4. A connector clip comprising in combi- .tially from end to end of saidjaw along the nation, a one piece jaw of strip metal, said jaw havingend portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor between themand a fiat middle portion in a plane substantially at right angles tothe planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strlp ductorengaging position, and means extending through the middle portions ofsaid jaw, insulation and spring for holding the same together.

5. A connector clip comprising in combination, a one'piece jaw of stripmetal, said jaw having end portions conformed to engage an electricalconductor between them and a fiat middle portion in a planesubstantially at right angles to the planes of said end portions toengage a support, a strip of insulating material extending substantiallyfrom end to end of said jaw along the outer surface thereof,'a flatspring of substantially the conformation ofand engag-.

ing the outer surface thereof for holding the end portions of said jawin their conductor engaging position, and a conducting I bolt extendingthrough the middle portions of said jaw, insulationand spring forholding the same together and mounting said clip. 7 6. A connector clipcomprising in combi-' nation, a one piece jaw of strip metal, said jawhaving end portions conformed to engage an electrical conductor betweenthem and a flat middle portion in a plane substantially at right anglesto the. planes of said end portions to engage a support, a strip ofinsulating material extending substan tially from end to end of said jawalong the outer surface thereof, a fiat spring of substantially theconformation of and en- 4 gaging the outer surface thereof for holdingthe end portions of said jaw in their conductor engaging position, theend portions of said jaw being circular in conformation to engage andretain a cylindrical con ductor between them, and the end portions ofsaid insulation and spring being of similar circular conformation tolaterally support said jaw throughout the conductor en gaging portionsthereof.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day ofJanuary, A.;D.

GEORGE A. SOHAEFER. Witnessi JOHN WEINBERGER.

